Change: Lectures, Discussions and Concerts

Art, science and religion are fundamental means with which humanity addresses the enigma of existence. All three are ways of comprehending the world, our shared reality and the parameters of a good life. Science focuses on reason, art on experience and religion on the unknown. At their juncture is the very core of our cultural heritage: who are we, and in what kind of a world do we want to live?

This is the purpose of the series of lectures and discussions to be held in the project You must be the change you wish to see in the world, where experts in arts and science probe the forces for change in music, the arts in general and even more generally immaterial culture. The talks will be about the significance and responsibility of music, the arts and other mental pursuits in society at large, for instance in promoting peace, in dealing with communal traumas, in protecting the environment and biodiversity and in any public debate on values.

These events also point to the concert theme of each week, offering a fresh perspective on classic works. A classic orchestral work is a classic precisely because it addresses the fundamental issues of existence in a way that is always relevant and engenders new dimensions in time and place.

When we sit in a concert hall, we and everyone around us vibrate in a sea of sound waves. A concert is a soundscape reflecting coexistence in the world: the ultimate unity of everything, an empathetic listening to others, a constant state of flux. But what kind of world, and what kind of change? Join us and find out!

YOU must be the change!

Finland is turning 100 years and that resounds in our ears. At the same time the world is shook by crisis – intolerance and hatred escalates. The program of Turku Philharmonic Orchestra in 2017 takes a stance on the current situation in the world and reflects on music as a form of nonviolent resistance.

Our project ”YOU must be the CHANGE you wish to see in the world” is inspired by the term satyagraha, conceived by Mahatma Gandhi. Musical language needs no written joint language to communicate the message of peace.

The orchestra joins forces with the city of Turku’s library, youth services, Arts academy, University, the Music festival, The Donner institute and the church in order to create never before heard concerts, lectures and workshops in which we reflect on a better future and the individual’s responsibility in change.

CHANGE lifts international, humane themes that also link to our nation’s history. The core is formed by pieces, which in addition to the artistic experience also have been used to influence our society. The series begins with Beethoven’s 9th symphony, which has been used to protest against Pinochet’s dictatorship in Chile, against the communist reign in Tiamen square, to honor democracy at the fall of the Berlin wall and in remembrance of tsunami victims in Japan. The series ends with a world premiere of an oratorio by composer Pauliina Isomäki in which she aims to create an ethical and philosophical reflection of our time. We will do a transformative musical trip where humanity and respect are the core.

Sorrowful song

Children are separated from their parents, parents from
their children. War and terror drive people from their homes.
In Górecki’s ‘Symphony of Sorrowful Songs’, the grief of a
mother who has lost her child coalesces into aching melodies,
and the boundless sorrow caused by war finds expression
in simple yet powerful music. The soloist is Polish vocal
star Joanna Kozłowska. Setting the mood is one of Jean Sibelius’s
last works, ‘A lonely ski trail’.

Sorrowful song

Children are separated from their parents, parents from
their children. War and terror drive people from their homes.
In Górecki’s ‘Symphony of Sorrowful Songs’, the grief of a
mother who has lost her child coalesces into aching melodies,
and the boundless sorrow caused by war finds expression
in simple yet powerful music. The soloist is Polish vocal
star Joanna Kozłowska. Setting the mood is one of Jean Sibelius’s
last works, ‘A lonely ski trail’.

Festive Concert: Reformation!

To mark the Jubilee Year celebrating 500 years since the Reformation, the Turku Philharmonic commissioned Pauliina Isomäki to write a festive oratorio. Its world premiere at Turku Cathedral is one of the most significant world premieres of the year. “The Sermon on the Mount laid the foundation for a new conception of morality, our relationship to God and to one another. How did we respond to it in centuries past, and how do we respond to it now? The environment is changing, but people are pretty much the same as they were 2,000 years ago,” says Isomäki, explaining the genesis of the work.

Festive Concert: Reformation!

To mark the Jubilee Year celebrating 500 years since the Reformation, the Turku Philharmonic commissioned Pauliina Isomäki to write a festive oratorio. Its world premiere at Turku Cathedral is one of the most significant world premieres of the year. “The Sermon on the Mount laid the foundation for a new conception of morality, our relationship to God and to one another. How did we respond to it in centuries past, and how do we respond to it now? The environment is changing, but people are pretty much the same as they were 2,000 years ago,” says Isomäki, explaining the genesis of the work.

Freude!

The main theme of the finale of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony is one of the best-known melodies in the world. It has been used to protest against dictatorships, to praise democracy, to remember victims of disasters and to celebrate the Olympic Games. This unchallenged symphonic classic is conducted by maestro Leif Segerstam in our opening concert of spring 2017.

Freude!

The main theme of the finale of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony is one of the best-known melodies in the world. It has been used to protest against dictatorships, to praise democracy, to remember victims of disasters and to celebrate the Olympic Games. This unchallenged symphonic classic is conducted by maestro Leif Segerstam in our opening concert of spring 2017.

Freude!

The main theme of the finale of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony is one of the best-known melodies in the world. It has been used to protest against dictatorships, to praise democracy, to remember victims of disasters and to celebrate the Olympic Games. This unchallenged symphonic classic is conducted by maestro Leif Segerstam in our opening concert of spring 2017.

Leningrad

Shostakovich wrote his Seventh Symphony during the siege of Leningrad in 1941. It has since become hugely popular as a monument to the horrors of war and a symbol of opposition to Nazism and militarism. The composer is said to have described the tranquil section in the first movement thus: “Perhaps it is the tears of a mother, or the feeling when grief is so overwhelming that there are no tears left.”

Leningrad

Shostakovich wrote his Seventh Symphony during the siege of Leningrad in 1941. It has since become hugely popular as a monument to the horrors of war and a symbol of opposition to Nazism and militarism. The composer is said to have described the tranquil section in the first movement thus: “Perhaps it is the tears of a mother, or the feeling when grief is so overwhelming that there are no tears left.”

Spring Scream

Popular conductor Christian Vásquez conducts a programme of works whose premieres prompted strong reactions. The notorious first performance of Stravinsky’s Sacre du printemps in 1913 provoked a riot among the audience because of its modernity. Copland’s Appalachian Spring, written for the legendary Martha Graham, is also a milestone in 20th-century ballet, a Pulitzer Prize winning work about American pioneers. The virtuoso Trumpet Concerto by Armenian composer Alexander Arutyunian is performed by Pacho Flores from Venezuela.

Spring Scream

Popular conductor Christian Vásquez conducts a programme of works whose premieres prompted strong reactions. The notorious first performance of Stravinsky’s Sacre du printemps in 1913 provoked a riot among the audience because of its modernity. Copland’s Appalachian Spring, written for the legendary Martha Graham, is also a milestone in 20th-century ballet, a Pulitzer Prize winning work about American pioneers. The virtuoso Trumpet Concerto by Armenian composer Alexander Arutyunian is performed by Pacho Flores from Venezuela.